Abigail Bradford
Policy Analyst
Installing solar panels on all new homes is a common-sense step that would create a wave of clean, renewable energy, reduce dangerous greenhouse gas emissions, cut air pollution, save consumers money and help to create a more resilient electric grid. Installing solar panels on all new homes could add 3.5 times as much solar energy capacity as the entire country currently has installed by 2045 – and cut over 9 percent of current annual U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation.
America has a bold opportunity to speed the transition to a clean energy future by requiring solar power on new homes. Rooftop solar panels save homeowners money – even more so when they are installed during construction. Including this common-sense technology on all new homes would help the nation to build an electric grid that’s cleaner, more beneficial for consumers, and more resilient.
Installing solar panels on all new homes would accelerate the growth of solar energy capacity. Installing solar panels on all new homes built from 2020 to 2026 would result in more solar energy capacity than the entire U.S. currently has installed. By 2045, installations on new homes would total 203 GW – 3.5 times as much solar capacity as the nation currently has installed. (Details on sources and methods for estimates can be found in the Methodology).
Figure ES-1: Projected Cumulative Residential Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Capacity Added in U.S. under a Solar Homes Requirement.*
*See Methodology for sources and details on how projections were calculated.
Adding solar energy to new homes would offset the use of fossil fuel-powered energy sources and cut 2017 carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. electricity generation by more than 9 percent annually by 2045. A solar homes requirement would cut an estimated 161 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent during 2045 – equivalent to taking more than 34 million of today’s cars off of the road.
Figure ES-2: Projected Annual Greenhouse Gas Emissions Averted under a Solar Homes Requirement.*
*See Methodology for sources and details on how projections were calculated.
A solar homes requirement would add the most capacity in the fastest growing states and help to reduce increasing demand on the electric grid in those states. Texas would add the most capacity to new homes with over 24 GW by 2045, followed by Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and Arizona.
A solar homes requirement would also significantly reduce states’ carbon dioxide emissions. North Carolina, for example, could reduce annual CO2 emissions from energy use by the equivalent of 9 percent of 2015 levels by 2045. By 2045, Nevada and Arizona could reduce annual CO2 emissions from energy use by 8 percent of 2015 levels; Florida, South Carolina and Colorado by 7 percent; and Utah, Idaho and Georgia by 6 percent.
Table ES-1: The Top 10 States for New Residential Solar PV Capacity under a Solar Homes Requirement.*
State | Q2 2018 Total Solar PV Capacity (MW) | Projected Added Residential Solar PV Capacity by 2045 under a Solar Homes Requirement (MW) | % Reduction in 2015 CO2 Emissions by 2045** |
---|---|---|---|
Texas | 2,624 | 24,719 | 3.2% |
Florida | 1,943 | 24,423 | 7.3% |
North Carolina | 4,491 | 13,160 | 9.0% |
Georgia | 1,556 | 9,665 | 6.0% |
Arizona | 3,613 | 7,601 | 8.1% |
South Carolina | 591 | 6,113 | 7.2% |
Washington | 133 | 5,959 | 4.9% |
Colorado | 1,055 | 5,904 | 6.9% |
Tennessee | 238 | 5,396 | 5.2% |
California | 22,777 | 5,200 | 0.8% |
*See Appendix for full list of states. See Methodology for sources and details on how projections were calculated.
**Excludes net emissions from agriculture, land use and forestry.
Requiring solar panels on new homes could transform the market and lower solar energy costs.
Installing solar panels during construction is a key part of a transition to low-carbon and zero-carbon homes. A solar homes requirement meshes well with key energy policies such as strong building and appliance efficiency standards, electric vehicle policies, and policies to encourage home energy storage – helping to create a clean energy system.
Distributed solar energy reduces air pollution, improves public health, and makes the electric grid more resilient.
Starting in 2020, the state of California will require new single-family homes, and multi-family homes up to three stories, to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Homes that cannot effectively accommodate solar panels due to shading from adjacent structures, such as buildings and trees, are exempt from the requirement.
This requirement is part of the California Energy Commission’s 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, which also ramp up energy efficiency requirements for buildings. The new standards are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 2020 to 2023 equivalent to taking 115,000 cars off the road. Under the new standards homeowners are expected to save $19,000 over 30 years.
To take advantage of these benefits, state and local governments across the country should require all new homes to install solar PV systems. To support this policy and maximize its benefits, governments should also:
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